Trying To Fly
by adromir
Summary: This is the story where little Legolas tries to fly...with disastrous result.


**Summary :**** This is the story where little Legolas tries to fly…with disastrous result.**

**Hello, everyone! I'm still alive and kicking even after my near-death experience several weeks ago! I was bedridden for nearly a week after I caught a very bad virus infection. No, not SARS or the bird flu that is floating around world wide right now. It was something else entirely but still very scary! I'm not going through _that again, so I've equipped myself with loads of antibiotics! So! I come back early. My life is still pandemonium but, heck, who cares! _**

**This story takes place while Leggy was still a child; equivalent to human's five year old while Keldarion was fifteen. And the title of this story was supplied by our friend, Aicial Chan. This one's for you, mellon.**

**Enjoy.**

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"Father, why can't elves fly?" 

The deep silence of Mirkwood royal study was suddenly broken by a child's inquisitive voice. 

King Thranduil looked up from the journal he was studying and smiled at his youngest son who stood expectantly beside his chair. "Because we are not birds, son," the king answered before he returned to his work.

"I know that, but why can't we fly like the birds?" Legolas, the child prince, was still insistent to get some answers from his father.

"Because we just can't," Thranduil replied with a shrug.

"Yes, but _why_?"

"We are too big to fly, I guess." 

"But Gwaihir the giant eagle is _bigger_ than us. He can fly, so why can't we?"

The king sighed inwardly. _There will be no end of this if he's in this kind of a mood!_ Thranduil turned to his son once more and looked at him straight in the eye. "Gwaihir has wings. We don't."

"Oh." Legolas blinked. He bit his lips as he pondered at his father's reply. Smiling in relief, Thranduil resumed his study of the kingdom's ledger.

His contentment didn't last long, however. A moment later, his son's voice came again. "Then why don't we have wings like the birds?"

 _Ai!_ Thranduil rolled his eyes in exasperation. _How can I finish my task if he keeps asking me these silly questions?_ Facing his son again, Thranduil placed a hand on the prince's shoulder. "Legolas, even I do not know why the gods did not give us wings to fly. We elves simply cannot. That's all I know."

"But that's not fair!" Legolas pouted. "I want to fly like the birds too!"

Despite it all, Thranduil chuckled. "And why is that, little one?"

"It will be fun to fly, don't you think? We can see lots of things from the air! And we can go to many places whenever we want!" Legolas said excitedly, waving his arms about.

"Keep that desire inside, my son. It will be millions of years until you can see an elf fly."

"Really?" Legolas' eyes widened. "I won't mind waiting some million years for _that_ to happen!"

Thranduil groaned out loud and hung his head. _Valar__! You can never say never to this child! _He raised his gaze and settled it on his son's cherubic features. "Look, why don't we drop this subject on flying so you can concentrate on your war," the king said, indicating the toy warriors that were scattered all over the floor beside and under the table where Legolas had been playing a short while ago. "I also have to finish my work here."

Legolas' pout became more pronounce. "I really, _really_ want to fly, father," the boy responded and sat back down among his toys.

Thranduil shook his head. "Well, my son, I can't help you in that." Picking up his journal, the king added, "I wish I could fly too."

*****************************

Legolas grabbed the railing and nimbly heaved himself up. Then he stood there at the very top of the palace roof, his eyes eagerly sweeping the scenery that was spread around him. He could see the entire royal garden from there, as well as the paths from and to the woods. He also saw the Mirkwood warriors practicing with their blades in the training field.

Actually, this was not the highest position he had ever been to. Before this he had climbed the highest tree in the area but the view had been obstructed by the many branches that were heavy with leaves. But his sight now was completely unhindered. Everything looked so vast and free. He even felt as if he could touch the sky!

Not a long while ago, the little prince had been chased off his father's study after he began climbing the tall bookcases and jumping down with a loud whoop. And he did this repeatedly. Thranduil had been totally distracted by his son's antics so he told the prince to knock such silliness off, but Legolas was too restless to sit still. So the father and son had stood staring at each other, daring the other to make the first move.

Thranduil did. He had reached up to grab his son but Legolas had easily dodged, jumped off the bookcase and slithered down his father's tall form as he would a tree before taking off running with the king hot on his heels. After Legolas had quickly vanished around the corner, Thranduil had to accept that he had lost that round to his 500 years old insolent child.

Legolas now stood on the roof with his arms akimbo, imagining himself as the king of a fantasy kingdom. Then a flock of birds flew nearby. He grinned. _Make that a king who can fly._

He watched closely at the way the birds were flapping their wings. Then he spread his own arms wide apart, staring at the ground a hundred feet below him. 

And that's how his elder brother saw him.

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"Ai Elbereth and all the stars above!" Prince Keldarion, the crown prince of Mirkwood, exclaimed in great shock and dismay. He instinctively reined in his mount as he stared open-mouthed at the small figure standing precariously at the edge of the palace roof.

Commander Linden who had been accompanying him in his ride into the woods also halted, gasping at the sight. "Valar! What is your brother trying to do?"

"Whatever it is, we must stop him!" Keldarion cried out and kicked his mount. The mare shot forward and sped into the palace ground at high speed, weaving gracefully among the trees and pillars under Keldarion's expert hands. The prince was already shouting at the top of his lungs, "Legolas, stay where you are! _Don't _move!"

Legolas looked down at his brother's cries, grinning. "See, Kel! I'm a bird!" the little prince shouted back, flapping his arms. A moment later, he jumped.

"NO!!" Keldarion screamed. He urged his mount to move faster, almost flying across the lawn. At the same moment, came the high wail of a child from the direction of the garden.

Keldarion turned around the corner and saw Legolas laying supine on top a clump of shrubbery, crying and howling in pain. The elder prince quickly dismounted and knelt beside his brother. "Legolas! Are you all right?"

Between wail and sobs, Legolas said, "No…My legs…hurt…"

Keldarion reached down and gently gathered his brother into his arms. Legolas howled when his legs were touched. "Stop! It hurts!"

"Then why the blazes did you jump off the roof?!" Keldarion shouted back, his panic made his voice curt and snappish. 

Legolas' face crumbled anew and he wailed louder, pushing frantically against his brother's chest and reaching instead for Linden who had also knelt down beside the two brothers. The elder elf took the little prince in one hand while gripping Keldarion's shoulder with the other. "He has broken both his legs from the look of it, your highness."

Keldarion lowered his head and sighed. He then cupped his brother's wet cheek and stroked it. "Sorry, brat, for yelling at you. You scared me. And you scared me still. Later, we will talk about you jumping off the roof, but for now we are going to take a look at those legs, all right?"

Legolas nodded with teary eyes. "All right."

Carefully, Keldarion and Linden carried Legolas between them, taking him swiftly into the palace.

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Thranduil tenderly stroked his youngest child's head repeatedly. Legolas was moaning and crying as his broken legs were being set by the royal healer. 

"Shhh...Not long now, child," the king crooned. "Just a little bit more."

"But you've said that a _long while ago!" Legolas yelled, and then screamed in anguish when the healer pulled at his left leg._

Thranduil cringed and glowered at the healer. "Aren't you done yet? How long will this take anyway?"

The healer clearly jumped at the king's voice. "Well…uh…not long, my lord. I just need to bind splints on his legs."

"Make it quick!"

"Yes, my lord." The healer nodded anxiously under the king's glare. But Legolas suddenly cried out in pain.

"Gently, will you!" Thranduil snapped, causing the healer to sigh and stop moving. "Really, my lord, if you keep shouting at me like this, I will not be able to finish."

Thranduil rolled his eyes as Keldarion looked at the exchange with amused expression on his face. "He is right, father. You are only making him nervous."

"Oh, all right then! Just do your job and I'll try to keep my mouth shut!" Thranduil finally responded.

The healer sighed again—this time in relief—and resumed his work. 

A half hour later, Legolas had fallen into a deep exhausted sleep with both his legs in neat splints. The healer had gratefully left, leaving instructions to the two royalties to look out for fever or other symptoms on the little prince.

"I can't believe that he actually jumped off the roof just like that!" Keldarion was saying as he tucked Legolas more securely under the coverlet.

"Me neither," Thranduil responded, watching his little son sleep. "What was he thinking?"

"I remember him telling me that he was a bird or something."

Thranduil's eyes bulged. "He _did_? Of all the…!" Then the king started to curse.

Keldarion was perplexed. "Why? What's wrong, father?"

Thranduil began to tell his elder son about the weird discussion he had with Legolas in the study. Keldarion was left blinking in astonishment. "He wants to _fly_? But…where in Arda did he get the idea from?"

"You are asking me? Valar! I wish I knew!" Thranduil shrugged helplessly. "At least he now learnt that he truly cannot fly."

"But will it stop him from trying _again?" Keldarion asked._

Father and son stared at each other, and both muttered oaths under their breath.

"Right. I don't think so," said Keldarion.

"We must do something before he breaks something else irreparable," Thranduil responded.

"Like his neck," Keldarion helpfully added.

"Or his skull."

"Do you have any idea?"

The king touched his chin as he pondered. "He wants to fly, hmm?" He looked straight at Keldarion. "Then he _will_ fly."

********************************

"Whoopee!" Legolas shouted with glee as they swooped down the air back towards the earth.

Gwaihir chuckled. "You like that, don't you, my prince?"

Legolas was giggling. "Indeed I do! More, Gwaihir! More!"

Keldarion, who rode behind Legolas on the giant eagle's back, tightened his grip on his little brother. "Don't listen to him, Gwaihir. He has had enough fun for one day."

"Aw, Kel!"

"Don't start that noise with me, brat," Keldarion said, wagging a finger at his brother. "You know Gwaihir had better things to do than to give you more amusement rides."

"Oh, but it will be no problem to me at all, Keldarion," Gwaihir said.

"Don't encourage him, Gwaihir. Our father promised him only an hour ride. No more."

Legolas was pouting but he knew his brother was right. 

It was two weeks after he had jumped off the palace roof. His legs were still mending but he was finally able to walk with crutches. His father had surprised him that day with Gwaihir's sudden arrival. It looked like the Mirkwood king had sent a message to the lord of eagles to help teach his son about the truth of flying.

"Thank you, Gwaihir. Now I know how it really feels to fly," Legolas said to the eagle as they headed back towards home.

"My pleasure, Legolas. Are you now convinced that elves do not fly?"

"Yes, Gwaihir."

"Because…?"

"Elves don't have wings."

"Right. It's also because elves are stronger warriors on the ground. Do you want to be a warrior or a bird, Legolas?"

"A warrior, that's for sure! I want to kill many orcs!"

"And you'll do it better on your own two feet. So keep them from broken again, all right?"

"Yes, Gwaihir. I will."

"Good. Now leave the flying to us birds. Anytime you want a lift, just tell us."

Keldarion rolled his eyes. "You are going to regret saying that, Gwaihir. I have a feeling that he's going to keep asking you after this."

The giant eagle just laughed as they neared the opened space of the palace courtyard where the Mirkwood king was already waiting.

**THE END**

**There goes one short story to start this year. Another short story will come out entitled 'Too Much'. The next longer stories will come right after that…I hope. **

**Now, I would like to thank all of you for reading and  giving me your endless support. See you in…err…next week? **

**p/s : Meagan my beta, I'm going to need lots of your help after this! Be ready. Oh, and thank you, girl!**


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